The invention is based on a wiper blade.
WO 2008/020003 discloses a wiper blade having an elongated, spring-elastic carrier element which is pre-curved concavely with respect to a vehicle window and which has at least one spring rail, and having a wiper strip which is held in a replaceable fashion by the carrier element. The wiper strip is permanently connected at one end to a thickened portion by means of which the wiper strip can be secured relative to the carrier element. This is done by virtue of the fact that the thickened portion can be laid on one end side of the spring rail or on a bridge which connects two spring rails, serving as a carrier element, to one another. In this position, the wiper strip is secured relative to the carrier element by an end cap. The latter can engage over the thickened portion and the bridge and secure them in position by releasable latching means. In the case of disassembly of the wiper strip of the wiper blade the latching means are released, with the result that after the removal of the end cap the wiper strip can be pulled out of the carrier element.
The thickened portion can be implemented by means of different configuration elements, for example by means of separate components which are connected to the wiper strip, or integrally formed-on parts which bring about a local increase in the cross-section of the cross-sectional profile of the wiper strip at the end of the wiper strip. The first-mentioned measures include clamps made of metal or plastic or a combination of these materials, for example plastic-coated metal clamps or bracket-shaped plastic parts which are attached to the wiper strip by metal clamps. In the simplest case, staples are sufficient, the limbs of said staples being pressed, while pointing towards the wiper lip, by the upper part of the head strip and being bent over toward the web which runs between the longitudinal grooves for the spring rails.
Another possibility is that the staple runs in the longitudinal direction of the wiper strip, while its limbs penetrate the web between the longitudinal grooves transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction and are bent over inward on the opposite side of the web. If the thickened portion is integrally formed onto the wiper strip, it can entirely or partially fill the longitudinal grooves in the end region thereof. In addition, said thickened portion can protrude as a bead or projection beyond the normal cross-sectional profile of the wiper strip. These may be integrally injection-molded-on or extruded-on parts of the wiper strip which are composed of the same material or of similar materials. Basically it is also possible for these parts to be connected as separate parts by bonding, vulcanizing or welding to the wiper strip.
According to one configuration of the invention, an opening which can be opened and closed is provided on at least one end cap. A flap which closes off the opening is used for this purpose. The flap is connected to the cap via a film joint whose pivoting axis runs in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. In the closed state, the flap latches with a latching edge on a connecting web of the end cap, wherein the end side of the flap, which faces the end of the wiper blade, bears with a fin on the facing end side of the bridge of the carrier element, with the result that the carrier element is secured relative to the wiper strip with the spring rails by means of the end cap. The external contour of the closed flap finishes flush with the face against which there is a flow or the throat of the end cap, with the result that no wind noises are produced at the end cap even in the case of high speed vehicles.
DE 10 2004 051 467 A1 discloses a wiper blade. Its carrier element comprises two spring rails which run parallel to one another and which are connected to one another at their ends by a bridge. In order to accommodate a wiper strip, the spring rails form a longitudinal gap, with the result that the wiper strip can be threaded onto the carrier element in the longitudinal direction. The wiper strip is secured in the longitudinal direction relative to the carrier element by end caps. The latter have an element with a mandrel which is pressed into a head strip of the wiper strip at the end of the mounting process. In the mounted state, the mandrel bears against the end side of the bridge which faces away from the end of the wiper strip. In one exemplary embodiment, the mandrel is located on a spring tongue which is pressed against the head strip by a flap with an eccentric. The pivoting axis of the flap runs transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. In another embodiment, the mandrel is arranged directly on the flap, wherein the pivoting axis of the flap is provided in the vicinity of the outer end wall of the end cap.
DE 100 25 710 A1 discloses a wiper blade of the flat bar design which has a rubber-elastic wiper strip with a wiper lip. Between the wiper lip and a head strip lateral longitudinal grooves are provided into which two spring rails which are pre-curved concavely with respect to the wiper lip are inserted as a carrier element. Said spring rails are held together by bridges at their ends and by a central connecting element. The bridges have as securing means an integrally formed-on projection which has at its free end at least one projection which is directed toward the head strip. During assembly, the projection is bent against the head strip with the result that the projection engages in the head strip and secures the spring rails in the longitudinal direction relative to the wiper strip. The bridges are finally covered with end caps.
A similar wiper blade is known from DE 102006059077. In this context, a securing spring which points in the longitudinal direction and which is attached to the bridge presses with a v-shaped profile, which runs transversely in the longitudinal direction, against a head strip of the wiper strip and secures the latter relative to the carrier element. The pressure on the head strip can be amplified by suitable devices in the end cap, on which devices the securing pin is supported.
DE 102 45 693 A1 discloses a wiper blade which has, as a carrier element, two spring rails which run parallel and which are connected to one another at each of their ends by a bridge. In addition, securing means are provided which secure the wiper strip relative to the spring rails. In order to dismount the wiper strip, the securing means can easily be released. They are connected at one end to the bridge and at the other end to the wiper strip via a materially joined connection, a frictionally locking connection and/or a positively locking connection. In one exemplary embodiment, a mandrel engages through a guide bore in the bridge into the wiper strip and is secured in the mounting position by an end cap which latches to the bridge by means of a spring element. The spring element can be released by an element which can be operated externally, with the result that the end cap and the mandrel can be released in order to change the wiper strip. In the mounted state, the end cap is supported by a closed end side pointing to the end of the wiper blade on the assigned end side of the bridge. Another exemplary embodiment shows a securing unit which is fabricated from sheet metal and which is pressed into the wiper strip by a mandrel which is bent with respect to the wiper strip. When the spring rails are mounted, the securing unit is pushed under the bridge and latched between the stop faces and a spring tongue on the bridge. The spring tongue can be pressed into a release position after the removal of the end cap, with the result that the spring rails can be dismounted.